Confounding the Needs and Confronting the Norms

Abstract

This article expands the ideas presented in Reid and Valle's essay by further exploring the construct of normality and its implications for children in schools. It examines the reasons for the nature of current school policy and practice by explicating who benefits and who loses from typical school structures and recent national legislation. Finally, it advocates for a transformation of thinking about the purpose of schools and suggests a radical restructuring that would support social reciprocity and community.